Witnesses reported that an Israeli airstrike struck an apartment building in Beirut, marking the first attack within the city limits as Israel intensified its actions against Iran’s allies in the region.
The strike targeted the upper floor of the apartment building located in the Kola district of Lebanon’s capital, according to witness accounts.
There has been no prompt response from the Israeli military.
The increasing frequency of Israel’s attacks on the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and the Houthi militia in Yemen has raised concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could spiral out of control, potentially involving Iran and the United States, Israel’s key ally.
The health ministry controlled by the Houthis reported that at least four individuals were killed and 29 injured in airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, which Israel stated was in retaliation for Houthi missile strikes.
In Lebanon, officials indicated that at least 105 individuals have died due to Israeli airstrikes.
People gather outside an apartment building impacted by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Cola district.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry announced that over 1,000 Lebanese people have lost their lives and approximately 6,000 have been injured in the past fortnight, without specifying how many of the casualties were civilians.
The government reported that one million individuals, constituting a fifth of the population, have abandoned their homes.
The ongoing bombardment over the last two weeks has resulted in the deaths of several prominent Hezbollah leaders, including the group’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel has pledged to maintain its offensive, stating its intention to restore safety in its northern regions for residents who have been displaced by Hezbollah rocket assaults.
Israeli drones have been spotted hovering over Beirut, with the sound of fresh airstrikes reverberating throughout the Lebanese capital.
Read more about the conflict in the Middle East
Many of Israel’s operations have occurred in southern Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah primarily operates, or in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The attack on the Kola district seems to be the first strike within the boundaries of Beirut.
The United States has advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Lebanon while also authorizing its military to bolster its presence in the area.
When asked if a full-scale war in the Middle East could be avoided, US President Joe Biden stated, “It has to be,” adding that he would be in discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
